The present invention relates generally to a device for securing an engine cylinder head for the process of machining the valve seats of the cylinder head, and more specifically to a universal roll-over cylinder head clamping fixture that is rotatable, tiltable, and that provides a means for palletizing the preparation process of a cylinder head.
The machining of the valve seats in a cylinder head requires securing the cylinder head in a position below a machining apparatus. Valve seat bore guides of a cylinder head may be angled in a variety of directions. Thus, to align the machining tool with a valve seat bore guide, either the machining tool must be capable of angular and height adjustment or the cylinder head must be positioned into alignment by utilizing an adjustable cylinder head holder. Cylinder head holders that are known in the art offer limited maneuverability of the cylinder head. A typical prior art cylinder head holder may provide limited rotation of the cylinder head. Vertical or height positioning of the cylinder head require manual adjustments of the holding apparatus that is often cumbersome and time consuming. Further, these systems do not have the capability of convenient and quick means for tilting the cylinder head lengthwise or sideways.
Correct alignment of the valve seat boring guide is not often achieved on a first attempt at alignment. Prior art cylinder head holders are not designed to provide mechanisms for fine adjustments. Thus, if proper alignment is not achieved, the holder hardware must be manually released to provide a new gross adjustment that approximates proper alignment. The operator must then rely on the machining tool to provide precise alignment. Machining tools that do not have fine adjustment capability must rely on the alignment mechanism of the cylinder head holder.
A machine shop often has a number of cylinder heads that are in line to be machines. Prior art cylinder head holding systems require a serial process of placing a cylinder head into a holder, adjusting the cylinder head if possible, machining the cylinder head, and removing the cylinder head from the holder. The prior art does not provide a means to speed up this process whereby any number of cylinder heads may be prepared for machining apart from the holding apparatus while another cylinder head is being machined.
Cylinder head holders of the prior art do not provide a convenient and quick means for adjusting rotational angle, vertical height, lengthwise tilt, and sideways tilt of the cylinder head. In addition, the prior art does not provide a method for palletizing cylinder heads for machining. With these deficiencies in the art, it is desirable to provide a cylinder head clamping fixture that provides rotational and height and tilt adjustment capabilities. It is also desirable to provide a means for preparing a cylinder head for quick insertion into a clamping fixture.